Having represented England at youth level,[2] Entwistle began his club career with his hometown team Bury in August 1976.
[2] Signed as part of the deal that took John Hawley to Sunderland, he struggled to establish himself in the first team and was released on a free transfer a year later.
[6] He returned to Bury for a brief third spell in 1988, playing twice for the club on non-contract terms before leaving to join Wigan Athletic on a permanent basis.
[7] He made his debut for Hartlepool on 9 September 1989 in a 2–1 defeat to Gillingham and appeared in one further match for the club before leaving to join non-league side Halifax Town.
[9][10] He stated that the possibility of manager Chris Casper being sacked convinced him to become involved but that he had no desire to become chairman if the deal was completed.